Earl Sweatshirt: Some Rap Songs review – powerful, emotional poetry
Cut-up beats are a foil for candid reflections on the artist’s battles with drugs and depression, with moving moments of parental reconciliation - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarSchumann: Frage CD review – Gerhaher launches epic project with verve
Schumann brings out the best in baritone Christian Gerhaher on this striking recording with pianist Gerold Huber - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarKeith Jarrett: La Fenice review – dazzling spontaneity from 2006
(ECM) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarMarianne Faithfull: Negative Capability review – up there with Cohen and Cash
(BMG) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarTrifonov: Destination Rachmaninov. Departure review – peerless playing
Daniil Trifonov’s extraordinary eloquence removes every trace of over-familiarity – this is one of the releases of the year - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarRobyn: Honey review – beautifully personal pop perfection
By manipulating the modern pop palette to craft a complex heartbreak album, Robyn shows her imitators how it’s done - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarNeneh Cherry: Broken Politics review – raw-silk empathy in a shattered world
Cherry’s sage perspective weaves through these tender tracks, making it a beautiful and revelatory record - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarLisa O'Neill: Heard a Long Gone Song review – raw and unvarnished folk for austere times
O’Neill has returned to her vocal roots and made an album that is rough, calloused and totally relevant - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarIgor Levit: Life review – pianist's transcendental meditation on grief
Whether performing Liszt, Busoni or even Bill Evans, the pianist explores sorrow, grief and closure - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarVan Morrison: The Prophet Speaks review – the creativity keeps coming
(Caroline) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarDaniel Knox: Chasescene review – a record for dark nights
(HP Johnson Presents) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarLP: Heart to Mouth review – big-hearted pop with an edge
Part mainstream pop, part gender-fluid rock, Laura Pergolizzi’s fifth album is full of sultry, exuberant songs - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarBruce Springsteen: Springsteen on Broadway review – magical myth-busting with the Boss
Springsteen uses an unlikely venue to puncture his own stage persona, in an enthralling recording of wit and wisdom - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarCosì fan tutte review – lovers recoupled in impressive Mozart
Reverting to an original score, in this production the couples are opposite what we’re used to, and a young cast sounds well together - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarThe 1975: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships review – melodic light relief abounds
(Dirty Hit) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarJeff Tweedy: Warm review – personal, winning songs from Wilco frontman
(dBpm) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarAlessia Cara: The Pains of Growing review – big-sister pop
(Virgin EMI) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarNils Landgren: Christmas With My Friends review – cool yule fare
(ACT) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarMoonlight Benjamin: Siltane review – no-nonsense Haitian blues-rock
Brooding, bluesy gold from the France-based voodoo priestess and singer-songwriter - Robin Denselow
starstarstarstarstarJeff Tweedy: Warm review – frayed and intimate autobiography
The Wilco frontman’s 18th album as a principal player shows he’s still twisting familiar elements into appealing shapes - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarAfro Celt Sound System: Flight review – unflagging spirit and invention
(ECC) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarVessel: Queen of Golden Dogs review – a gloriously weird electro-odyssey
Jarring and gratifyingly beautiful, this restless album draws on everything from dubstep to Spanish surrealism - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarOrrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band: Presence review – hooky grooves and improv charm
What this live recording lacks in ensemble polish it makes up for with riffing swingers, strong solos and party spirit - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarLaibach: The Sound of Music review – glorious silly covers are bright as a copper kettle
The industrial troupe’s kitschiest work yet is stirring, funny and thought-provoking - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarDebussy: Les Trois Sonates, the Late Works CD review – touching reminders of wartime vulnerability
Harmonia Mundi musicians including Isabelle Faust and Jean-Guihen Queyras pay tribute to the composer’s melancholic final works - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarLorraine Baker: Eden review – irresistible rhythms from a creative drummer
(Spark) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarAnderson .Paak: Oxnard review – the only way is up for restless rapper
(Aftermath) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarJosephine Foster: Faithful Fairy Harmony review – a dreamily unique talent
- Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarHickory Signals: Turn to Fray review – woke folk marries poetry and poignancy
Laura Ward and Adam Ronchetti’s debut skilfully mixes traditional songs with banjo and string-framed originals - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarBarbra Streisand: Walls review – a fearless riposte to the White House
(Columbia) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarThe Furrow Collective: Fathoms review – close-knit harmonies hit home
(Hudson) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarLil Peep: Come Over When You’re Sober Pt 2 review – honouring the rapper’s legacy
(First Access/Columbia) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarLaura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers: Bought to Rot review – nihilism and tenderness
The Against Me! frontwoman goes from endearingly catchy to sheer destruction, proving there are few like her - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarArchitects: Holy Hell review – addressing tragedy with gravity and defiance
The metal band’s moving first album since the death of founder Tom Searle has a heartfelt and anthemic feel - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarLil Peep: Come Over When You’re Sober Pt 2 review – accessible emo-rap from late zeitgeist hero
Collected from material on his laptop after his death, Lil Peep’s posthumous second album shows he was a big talent - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarMahler: Symphony No 6 review – Currentzis brings urgency and red-blooded glitz
Teodor Currentzis and his MusicAeterna’s take on Mahler 6 is engaging and highly coloured, if not one for the traditionalists - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarSarathy Korwar & Upaj Collective: My East Is Your West review – seamless genre fusion
Mixing a jazz quintet with five Indian musicians may not be a new idea, but Korwar finds gorgeously smooth connections - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarThe Prodigy: No Tourists review – glorious, dumb fun
(BMG/Take Me to the Hospital) - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarPistol Annies: Interstate Gospel review – country with no time to waste
Country supertrio’s new album tackles everything from divorce to prison in luscious production and wistful lyrics - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarMarianne Faithfull: Negative Capability review – staggering meditation on ageing and death
Faithfull’s 21st album is a combination of defiance and despair, with the likes of Mark Lanegan and Nick Cave onboard - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarGaye Su Akyol: Istikrarli Hayal Hakikattir review – Turkish star deserves big things
The Turkish singer mixes rock, folk and electronica in a personal and powerful album - Robin Denselow
starstarstarstarstarRobyn: Honey review – a sensual odyssey into clubland
(Island) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarMaisha: There Is a Place review – a blazing celebration
(Brownswood) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarThom Yorke: Suspiria review – uneasy beauty
(XL) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarRay BLK: Empress review – a sweet, street debut
(Island) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarNao: Saturn review – cosmopolitan R&B auteur evades the mainstream
(RCA Records) - Natty Kasambala
starstarstarstarstarDavid Crosby: Here If You Listen review – turbocharged Trump-whacking teamwork
(BMG) - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarJulia Holter: Aviary review – sonic beauty and brains in a 90-minute epic
Holter’s album is complex, with bits of avant-garde experimentation, but it’s always appealing - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarMyra Melford's Snowy Egret: The Other Side of Air review – kaleidoscopic improv workout
The American avant-garde pianist gathers an impressive group of partners for this crisp, complex album - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarDanielsson – Fresu: Summerwind review – gently seductive duets
(ACT) - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarKiran Leonard: Western Culture review – chamber pop asking all the right questions
Leonard’s latest questions everything from fake news to class frustration, and comes up with some valuable answers - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarEmpress of: Us review – joyful, lighter-than-air pop
Lorely Rodriguez’s second album celebrates friendship, love and connection in songs with a playful sensibility - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarKurt Vile: Bottle It In review – leisurely, skew-whiff melodies
(Matador) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarKarine Polwart: Laws of Motion review – assured and atmospheric
(Hudson) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarElla Mai: Ella Mai review – Boo'd Up singer's R&B statement of intent
The Londoner’s debut is best when full-blooded and fiery, with honeyed vocals and candid lyrics - Natty Kasambala
starstarstarstarstarKurt Vile: Bottle It in review – pin-sharp insights through a slacker haze
Some well-chosen new flavours including jazzy improv enhance Vile’s facility with melody, underneath the stoner elements - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarAmbrose Akinmusire: Origami Harvest review – adventurous, exhausting and compelling
The US trumpeter’s latest is an uncategorisable and thrilling voyage through America that is both dreamlike and dystopian - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarCat Power: Wanderer, in-depth review – staying true to her own weird way
After her record label rejected her album, singer-songwriter Chan Marshall found a new home for her singular sound - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarJacob Collier: Djesse Vol 1 review – undoubted but intermittent magic
(Hajanga/Decca/Geffen) - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarRon Gallo: Stardust Birthday Party review – a post-punk philosophical rebirth
(New West) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarCypress Hill review – hip-hop’s hazy visionaries vindicated
Latin hip-hop crew Cypress Hill continue their remarkable 2018 comeback with an inspired set of old-school meets modern - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarMeek Mill: Championships review – cinematic tracks from emancipated rapper
Mill’s post-prison latest is a testament to the self-made man of American narrative – it’s a mature work - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarVan Morrison: The Prophet Speaks review – laid-back, old-school R&B
A strange cover featuring ventriloquist’s dummy Archie Andrews is no guide to the carefree covers and new songs on Morrison’s 40th studio album - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarLauryn Hill review – a difficult re-education
Once the soul voice of a generation, Lauryn Hill has long had a reputation for being a difficult star. But could she do justice to her landmark album? - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarAlessia Cara: The Pains of Growing review – unsteady steps to maturity
Strong tunes are let down by lyrics that too often strain to bridge the gap between teenage and young adulthood on this second album - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarBig Joanie: Sistahs review – fearlessly discordant punk debut
The London trio explore complex textures and rumbling noise on this debut for Thurston Moore’s Daydream Library label - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarRyley Walker: The Lillywhite Sessions review – radical reworking of Dave Matthews album
(Dead Oceans) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarRita Ora: Phoenix review – perfectly fine second album
(Warner) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarJónsi: Frakkur 2000-2004 review – playful, engaging solo works
(Krúnk) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarArt Brut: Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out! review – tuneful, zippy guitar pop!
The Berlin-based indie rockers’ first album is seven years is full of singable choruses and pop culture references - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarMy Brightest Diamond: A Million and One review – chilly art pop that grasps for greatness
Shara Nova’s fifth full-length album is best when it focuses on pop rather than art - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarCliff Richard: Rise Up review – don't call it a comeback
The light entertainer’s first album of new material for 14 years is a bet-hedging hotch-potch of styles and ideas, featuring – brace yourself – another Christmas song - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarLittle Mix: LM5 review – formidable and frustrating
(Syco) - Alim Kheraj
starstarstarstarstarThe Good, the Bad & the Queen: Merrie Land review – almost-anthems for England’s dreaming
Damon Albarn’s eclectic supergroup confront national myths on an ambitious album of Brexit-era Anglicana - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarThe Good, the Bad & the Queen: Merrie Land review – Damon Albarn's scattergun sketch of Britain
Albarn’s ‘state of the nation’ address comes with rich musical texture but not a lot of actual tunes - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarAnderson .Paak: Oxnard review – knotty rapper weaves grit and glee
Joined by Kendrick Lamar, the artist’s trademark grooves are complex but compelling - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarWagner: Götterdämmerung review – this is not the Ring to rule them all
The Hong Kong Philharmonic, led by Jaap van Zweden, offer fine orchestral playing, though the vocal performances are less remarkable - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarLittle Mix: LM5 review – pop's unlikely survivors are American dreaming
The squeaky-clean girl group’s odd, likable new album is aimed squarely at erasing the one blot on their copybook - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarMuse: Simulation Theory review – riffing hard on the 80s
(Warner) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarMuse: Simulation Theory review – bring back the alien overlords, please
The band seems to have swapped overblown conspiracy theories about the tech takeover for rock-star gripes: it’s a lot less fun - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarJacob Banks: Village review – more of the daring fusions, please
(Interscope) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarThe Prodigy: No Tourists review – music for the jaded generation
Maxim Reality and Keith Flint keep shouting through Liam Howlett’s earth-shaking sub bass, but some of the slogans sound empty - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarJörg Widmann: Arche review – ambitious welcome to the Elbphilharmonie fails to convince
Widmann’s oratorio celebrates the Elbphilharmonie concert venue - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarThom Yorke: Suspiria review – nape-prickling soundtrack sits in the shadows
(XL Recordings) - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarNeneh Cherry: Broken Politics review – aching prettiness reigns
(Smalltown Supersound) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarBig Zuu: Content With Content review – a solid grime debut
iTunes - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarRichard Ashcroft: Natural Rebel review – roots rocking for car journeys everywhere
Strong music offsets some lyrical hokum on Ashcroft’s fifth solo offering, made for drivetime - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarMunich Philharmonic 125th Anniversary Box Set review – Mozart and Brahms to treasure
Despite some major omissions this massive collection includes some exceptional recordings, especially a Magic Flute led by Anneliese Rothenberger - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarElla Mai: Ella Mai review – a missed opportunity
(Universal) - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarElvis Costello & The Imposters: Look Now review – pretty but patchy
(Concord) - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarMatthew Dear: Bunny review – eclectic post-punk via heavy electronics
The ‘King chameleon’ rifles through genres, adding basslines that make for an engaging listen - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarJohn Grant: Love Is Magic review – electro-amped tragedy and eyebrow-waggling
Grant is never less than erudite, but there’s an occasional touch of teen angst on his fourth solo album - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarXXXTentacion: Skins review – a toxic legacy
Shot dead in June, the rapper has since stormed the chart. This posthumous album contains evidence of a maverick talent – and a grim contribution from Kanye West - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarClean Bandit: What Is Love? review – underwhelming chart catnip
The British band’s second album is larded with forced melodies, sound-alike songs and a chart-chasing sensibility - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarMumford & Sons: Delta review – humdrum Mumfords
(Gentlemen of the Road/Island) - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarMumford & Sons: Delta review – a lightweight lunge for mass appeal
The band were once adept at uniting disparate influences, but it’s a knack they’ve lost - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarImagine Dragons: Origins review – rock-pop cliches and cod profundities
The most streamed rock band in the world may want us to believe they are angry philosophers, but the reality doesn’t change a gilt-edged mainstream formula - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarKris Wu: Antares review – algorithmic rap karaoke from ex-boyband star
The ex-Exo singer has charisma, but it goes wasted on this imitation rap that lacks soul and character - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarMø: Forever Neverland review – stuck on the verge of a breakthrough
(RCA) - Emily Mackay
starstarstarstarstarJess Glynne: Always in Between review – earworm everywoman's predictable pop
The follow-up to Glynne’s ubiquitous debut is generic Top 40 and soul-pop finished to a high standard - Alexis Petridis
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